This month, Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba and U.S. President Trump met for the first time since both taking office. In a joint statement following their meeting, they reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening U.S.-Japan relations and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific through bilateral security and defense cooperation. However, questions about the future of U.S.-Japan relations loom, particularly in light of the blocked acquisition of U.S. Steel by Nippon Steel and the potential impact of the Trump administration’s trade policies. Join our esteemed speaker, Emma Chanlett-Avery,  Deputy Director of the Asia Society Policy Institute Washington, D.C. office, who will be providing insights on U.S.-Japan relations in the Trump 2.0 era.

This program is private, off-the-record, complimentary for Asia Society Seattle members, and not open to the press. Registration and confirmation of registration is required. Event location in downtown Seattle will be emailed to registered attendees 24 hours before the event.

Virtual access is available for Asia Society Northern California Board, Advisory Council, Groundbreaker and Innovator Members. Zoom link for virtual access will be provided 24 hours before the event.

If you are interested in joining the event, sign up to become a member here. Any inquiries can be directed to:  [email protected].

Agenda

Date: Thursday, March 13, 2025, 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Pacific  

• 8:00 a.m.     Event Registration and Networking
• 8:30 a.m.     Event and Q&A Discussion (ASNC Zoom Livestream Starts)
• 9:45 a.m.     Networking (ASNC Livestream Ends)
• 10:00 a.m.       Event Concludes

Location in downtown Seattle will be emailed to registered attendees 24 hours before the event.

Zoom link for virtual access will be provided 24 hours before the event. 

Speaker 

Emma Chanlett-Avery is Deputy Director of the Asia Society Policy Institute's Washington, DC office and the Director for Political-Security Affairs. Previous to this post, she served for 20 years as a Specialist in Asian Affairs at the Congressional Research Service, where she focused on U.S. relations with Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Thailand, and Singapore, with an emphasis on security issues and alliances. In 2023, she served as a Congressional Fellow on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, assisting the Chairman with drafting Asia policy legislation and preparing for hearings. Ms. Chanlett-Avery was a Presidential Management Fellow, with rotations in the State Department on the Korea Desk and at the Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group in Bangkok, Thailand. She also worked in the Office of Policy Planning as a Harold Rosenthal Fellow. She is a member of the Mansfield Foundation U.S. – Japan Network for the Future and a Mansfield-Luce Asia Network Scholar. In 2016, she received the Kato Prize, awarded by Washington think tanks for strengthening the U.S.-Japan alliance. She serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the National Association of Japan America Societies, Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Japan America Society of Washington DC, and as a Trustee of International Student Conferences, Inc. Ms. Chanlett-Avery received an MA in international security policy from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and her BA in Russian studies from Amherst College.

Ambassador Michael W. Michalak's diplomatic career with the U.S. State Department spanned more than 30 years and included postings to Tokyo, Japan; Sydney, Australia; Islamabad, Pakistan; Beijing, China; as well as Washington, D.C. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam from August 2007 to February 2011. Prior to his position in Vietnam, Amb. Michalak was Ambassador and Senior U.S. Official to APEC. He also served as Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. In addition, he received a group award for valor for his actions in time of crisis when the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad was burned down. Amb. Michalak also worked as an independent business consultant focused on Asia and particularly Vietnam. He served as Senior Advisor to the private sector host committee of the U.S. APEC Year (2011).  Amb. Michalak began his career as a research physicist at NASA.

Amb. Michalak joined the US-ASEAN Business Council in September 2015 and was the Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director. He oversaw the Council’s seven offices in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from the Council’s regional headquarters in Singapore, and led the Council’s regional advocacy efforts and engaged regularly with key ASEAN policymakers and thought leaders to offer his unique perspective on the key role U.S. businesses can play in ASEAN. He also managed, coached and developed the Council’s most critical resource: its staff.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan and a Master of Science degree in Applied Physics from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.  He received a second Master's degree in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He speaks Japanese and Chinese.